Saint James
The Saint James Distillery, located in the middle of sugar cane plantations in the small town of Sainte-Marie on Martinique, has been producing Rum since 1765. This makes it one of the oldest, still active Rum distilleries on the island.
| Information about the Distillery | |
|---|---|
| Martinique, Caribbean | |
| -60.998141 14.784446 | |
| Active | |
| 1765 | |
| https://rhum-saintjames.com/en/ |
| Average tasting notes Tasting notes |
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Nosing
Sweet:
Spices:
Fruit:
Vanilla:
Oak:
Herbs:
Cinnamon:
Honey:
Ginger:
Floral:
Lime:
Banana:
Nuts:
Zitrus:
Pear:
Raisin:
Sherry:
Tasting
Spices:
Sweet:
Cinnamon:
Vanilla:
Fruit:
Nuts:
Oak:
Honey:
Pear:
Herbs:
Nutmeg:
Lime:
Zitrus:
Sherry:
Dried Fruit:
Dark Chocolate:
Herb:
Pineapple:
Grass:
Peat Smoke:
Oil:
Hazelnut:
Pepper:
Caramel:
Chocolate:
Floral:
Apple:
Banana:
Heather:
Finish
Spices:
Oil:
Nuts:
Herbs:
Sweet:
Alcohol:
Pear:
Fruit:
Caramel:
Peat Smoke:
Oak:
Mint:
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The Rum
Saint James Rum bears the designation "Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique", which has been awarded since 1996 and is subject to strict guidelines. These include, for example, where the sugar cane is grown and the type of distillation method.
At Saint James, different product ranges are produced. The Saint James Rhum Royal Ambré and the Saint James Rhum Imperial Blanc belong to the Cocktail Rum Range. The Saint James Rhum VSOP is aged for at least four years in oak casks on Martinique and, together with the Saint James Rhum XO aged for six to 12 years in oak casks, is part of the Rhums de dégustation series at Saint James. This collection also includes the Saint James Rhum 12 Years, which was allowed to age for 12 years in small oak casks on the island.
In addition to its own Rum, Saint James also distils for the J.Bally brand.
The Production
The distillery takes care to keep the impact on the environment as low as possible. Therefore, sugar cane of the "C4" type, which binds the most CO2, is also used. The fibrous residue of the sugar cane, the bagasse, which is produced after pressing, is used as fuel to produce steam for the operation of the distillation columns and the mills. Another part of the bagasse is composted or converted into electricity via a generator. The liquid residue of the distillation, the vinasse, is processed and used to irrigate the sugar cane fields.
The Distillation
The Rum Distillery works with six column stills. According to the AOC guidelines, the upper part of the stills must be made of copper. Contact between the alcohol vapour and the copper softens the distillate. The alcohol produced after the distillation process at Saint James is around 68% vol. The distillery produces around four million litres a year.
The Sugar Cane
The sugar cane for Saint James is grown on an area of 500 hectares, of which the distillery owns around 380 hectares itself. However, as the crop rotation must be observed and not always the same amount of sugar cane is grown, not all of the area can be utilised.
The Pressing Process
As soon as the freshly harvested sugar cane arrives at the distillery, it must be processed on the same day. This is also one of the rules that must be adhered to according to the AOC. The sugar cane pieces are first crushed before being pressed in several stages in modern hydraulic presses. Recycled sugar cane water is added to the dry fibres in the second and third stages, and only fresh water is added to the remaining fibres.
At Saint James, a huge boiler supplies the steam for the turbines that drive the press and for the stills.
The Fermentation
Saint James uses pre-fermentation tanks in which the yeast is cultivated before the actual fermentation. Fermentation then takes place for 18 to 24 hours in around 20 tanks. Cooling coils in the tanks prevent the yeast from becoming too warm during this process. At the end, a sugar wine with 3% vol. is produced, which is then ready for distillation.
The Warehouses
After distillation, the white Rum is stored in steel tanks for six weeks in order to achieve a rounder flavour through reductive maturation. Huge oak barrels with a capacity of around 34,800 litres each are then used for the matured Rums at Saint James. For a "golden" Rum, such as the Saint James Rhum Royal Ambré, which actually matures for 16 to 18 months, storage of at least one year would be required. To receive the designation VO - very old, the Rum must mature for at least three years, for XO - eXtra old at least six years.
The History
In 1765, Father Edmund Lefébure, who at the time was the head of the Fort Saint-Pierre hospital, founded a sugar cane plantation in Martinique, where 'tafia' (un-aged Rum) was also distilled from molasses residues. Originally intended to supply the soldiers and people in need of this hospital with the rather rustic spirits, the quality was improved more and more. Eventually, the priest began to produce high quality Rum and distribute it initially under the name of the estate 'Trou Vaillant'. As the name was difficult to pronounce in the English colonies, the main consumers of the Rum, it was renamed 'Saint James', the anglicised name of Saint Jacques, around the time of the British occupation from 1794 to 1892.
In 1882, Paulin Lambert, a merchant from Marseille, took over the Habitation Trou Vaillant along with the Saint James brand. He was also the one who chose a square-bottomed bottle for Saint James Rum and, from 1885, was the first to offer a vintage Rum to his clientele.
During the eruption of the Pelée volcano in 1902, which completely destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre, Saint James was miraculously only partially affected and operations were quickly resumed.
In 1973, the Cointreau company acquired Saint James and built a new distillery in Sainte-Marie in the immediate vicinity of the sugar cane plantations. In 2003, Saint James went to La Martiniquaise.
The Visitor Centre
The Saint James Rum distillery is open to visitors. In addition to guided tours of the distillery, guests can visit the Rum museum and the Musée de L'Alambic, where many old stills can be marvelled at. In the vintage cellar, the Cave à Millésimes, you can discover a large collection of old bottles, including Bally Rum, with vintages from 1885 to the present day.
A small train runs through the sugar cane plantations to Habitation La Salle. In this former sugar factory from the end of the 17th century, the history of Rhum Agricole in Martinique is shown.
In the large shop on the estate, visitors have the opportunity to taste and, of course, buy the entire Saint James product range.
Distillery Adress:
Distillerie Saint-James
7 VC de Bezaudin
Sainte-Marie 97230
Martinique
Tel: +596 596 69 50 37
User Notes about the Distillery
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